I work at a hospital in a decent size city. The powers that be have discovered the ineptitude of many new graduate nurse practitioners. We can of course argue whether it is the university's responsibility to turn out a competent product or not but regardless that ship has sailed. The fact is actually as with undergraduate education the schools seem to have minimal interest in ensuring their students are ready to function upon graduation. No surprise and this will not change. I'm heading toward acceptance, grudgingly, lol. They want to hire us because we are so plentiful and often so inexpensive which of course is a rant for another day.
Gone are the days of hiding behind my NP friendly physician colleagues as I nonchalantly meander into the physician's lounge and attempt to avoid other physicians realizing I'm a NP. I have seen casual conversation fall flat the minute an unfamiliar physician finds out I'm a NP. It was an excellent set up where for the most part I could forget I was a NP and function as a peer with psychiatrists. However as they say all good things come to an end. We are a dime a dozen now, even in psych and I am being changed from medical staff to nursing staff. My privileges are being restricted as the hospital recognized the new NP hospitalists are incapable in many cases of managing patients independently. I will have a doc who co-signs my charts. I am mortified but thankful they aren't touching my salary for now.
We will have a senior DNP who manages the NPs. We will report to our department chairs but will have a NP administrator to run interference. He will set up standardized and then specialized new grad orientation programs with clinical and didactic training as well as an assigned peer mentor. Another necessary evil that will solidify the terrible salaries new grads are accepting.
I am thankful for our patients and also hopeful our reputations can be repaired however disgusted and sad that this has taken us back decades. Our responsibilities are now more limited than the PA hospitalists who have gained physician's trust based on their similar education and competence. So ladies, and by ladies I mean all NPs, get it together so we can start to regain the ground recently lost.
